Foundations for Attachment Training Resource is a programme to help parents and carers to nurture attachments with their child.

It is designed specifically for those caring for children whose capacity to emotionally connect has been compromised as a result of attachment problems, trauma, and loss or separation.

Informed by attachment theory and Dyadic Developmental Psychotherapy (DDP), it consists of three core modules:

• Understanding Challenges of Parenting
• Therapeutic Parenting
• Looking After Self

This parenting programme is informed by DDP principles and has passed through the DDPI endorsement process. For more information about DDP please follow this link where you can find out all that the organisation (DDPI) does.

https://ddpnetwork.org/ddpi/

DDP stands for ‘Dyadic Developmental Psychotherapy and Practice’ and its name might understandably be enough to put people off!

Behind the name lies the recognition that we all exist in relation to one another and in order to feel a sense of belonging we need to feel a sense of connection.

This sense of connection can be achieved by creating & investing in relationships that may with the right support offer us safety, security and joy amongst other qualities.

The aim is to have a reciprocal relationship where it feels safe enough to disagree, without feeling huge rejection and with the ability to comment curiously and lightly on the emerging stories as the relationship develops.

It’s also important to recognise the role of repair when building a solid foundation from which you may co-construct your relationship, eventually as a shared endeavour.

These relationships may be between parent and child, therapist and client, teachers and pupils, youth workers mentors, sport coaches, really anyone who is in relationship with another person and particularly those in relationship with children who have a mistrust in relationships due to their past experiences.

The list for all of those experiences is very long indeed but I’m certain we all know a child who may benefit from a nurturing, understanding and accepting relationship and probably an adult too.

Therefore you might suggest that the practice of DDP and its principles may be applicable within all relationships.

If you are able to habitualise the relating qualities from DDP and apply them within your own adult relationships and to yourself! It may be that you experience more harmony, peace and personal fulfilment both within relationship to yourself and with others.

It’s also important to recognise the role of repair when building a solid foundation from which you may co-construct your relationship, eventually as a shared endeavour.  These relationships may be between parent and child, therapist and client, teachers and pupils, youth workers mentors, sport coaches, really anyone who is in relationship with another person and particularly those in relationship with children who have a mistrust in relationships due to their past experiences.

The list for all of those experiences is very long indeed but I’m certain we all know a child who may benefit from a nurturing, understanding and accepting relationship and probably an adult too.

Therefore you might suggest that the practice of DDP and its principles may be applicable within all relationships. If you are able to habitualise the relating qualities from DDP and apply them within your own adult relationships and to yourself! It may be that you experience more harmony, peace and personal fulfilment both within relationship to yourself and with others.

Within healthy attachment relationships a number of relational qualities & feelings will usually be present and may include trust, humour, acceptance, curiosity, empathy & (sometimes) love! accompanied by an overarching sense of connection to the other person.

DDP recognises that children and young people raised in adverse conditions where abuse and neglect are present will not have had the experience of a caring supportive relationship and therefore may be understandably mistrustful of relationships and the traditional ways of creating them.

American psychologist Dan Hughes observed in his work with looked after children that the usual ways of attempting to make a connection and build a relationship were not working. He experienced from them, fear, hostility, mistrust of motive and numerous responses that indicated that what he was doing was not working in building any kind of relationship.

As a response to this repeated observation he studied early parent/infant interactions and noted that essential ingredients of a bond or attachment relationship(s) were the qualities of playfulness, acceptance, curiosity and empathy (referred to as P.A.C.E within DDP practice). These relational qualities are usually present within an attachment relationship and can help to form it.

Broadly speaking DDP as a practice advocates that we adopt the relational qualities observed in early parent/child interactions and apply them to all of our relationships with looked after children or children who have experienced relational trauma.

A common misunderstanding about DDP as a practice is that it comes with no boundaries or consequences! This is simply untrue, DDP is a firm advocate of robust boundaries and clear consequences. there is no ambiguity whatsoever on this.

DDP has been selected by The Koru Project as the most appropriate therapeutic practice for relating with and building relationships with most of the children and young people referred to them.

The foundations for attachment training programme designed and written by British clinical psychologist Dr Kim S Golding offers time and space to really gain a comprehensive understanding of DDP as a practice and how it can be relevant when applied to your work with the children in your care.

For more information regarding the author of this training programme, please visit –  https://kimsgolding.co.uk/

Here you can explore a mine of information and review articles and publications concerning DDP.

The Koru Project have just successfully completed its first foundations for attachment training programme delivered by arts therapists  Simon Eagle and Craig Barrett. We hope to announce the dates of the next training programme very soon.